Laptop Questions

[Gaithis]

So I have a macbook. Got it working great. Only problem is I cant leave my computer on all day because it gets very hot... So I have two questions!

Q1- is there away to disable the on screen (laptop) video? But still show on my iPhone of course. I think this might keep the laptop from overheating.

or

Q2- If i get an external USB camera or something of the sort. Can I close the laptop or sleep the computer so the program can keep running.

or if someone else has another idea besides getting a new computer(which is not possible) or fixing the over heating problem(again not possible).

Thanks! and good luck!

[Gaithis]

so i found this on the apple support page. might be the answer to my problem. has anyone tryed this yet?


Summary
The following Apple portables support the use of an external display or projector while the internal display is closed.

MacBook Pro
MacBook
PowerBook G4
MacBook Air
This is known as "closed clamshell" or "closed display" mode. To enable closed clamshell (display closed) mode, please use the steps below:

Note: iBooks do not support closed clamshell mode. You should not close the display lid of an iBook computer while using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

Products Affected
MacBook Pro, MacBook, PowerBook G4, MacBook Air
If you are using a wired keyboard and mouse:

Make sure the computer is plugged in to an outlet using the AC power adapter.
Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to your computer.
With the computer turned on connect the Apple portable (using the appropriate Apple adapter if necessary) to the appropriate port on the external display or projector and turn the display or projector on.
Once your computer's Desktop appears on the external display, close the computer's lid.
Once the lid is closed, wake the computer up by either clicking your mouse button or by pressing a key on your external keyboard.
You should now be able to use your Apple portable as you normally would, using your USB keyboard and mouse.

If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse on a Bluetooth enabled Apple portable:

Make sure the computer is plugged in to an outlet using the AC power adapter.
Verify that Bluetooth is turned on by using the Bluetooth pane of System Preferences or the Bluetooth menu icon.
Pair your Bluetooth keyboard or mouse with the computer. For step-by-step instructions, see this article for keyboard pairing or see this article for mouse pairing.
In System Preferences, be sure that the Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer option is selected.
With the computer turned on connect the Apple portable (using the appropriate Apple adapter if necessary) to the appropriate port on the external display or projector and turn the display or projector on.
Once your computer's Desktop appears on the external display, close the computer's lid.
Once it's closed, wake the computer up by either clicking your Bluetooth mouse button or by pressing a key on your Bluetooth keyboard.
You should now be able to use your Apple portable as you normally would, using your Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

To disconnect your Apple portable from the display after use:

When you're finished using your Apple portable in closed-lid mode, the internal display will not function when you open the lid until you have properly disconnected the external display. To properly disconnect the external display, put the computer to sleep and disconnect the display cable from the computer. Open the lid and the computer will reactivate the internal display.

Some DVI displays, including Apple's aluminum-framed DVI displays, can be unplugged without putting the computer to sleep. If you aren't sure whether your display supports this feature, put your computer to sleep before unplugging the display.

This document will be updated as more information becomes available.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

[Jay]

I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to, but you can hide the video from the webcam by closing the iCamSource window.  The program will still be running and you can access the program through the iCamSource icon in the Menubar (top right corner of the screen)

It's fine if your display goes to sleep, but iCam won't work if your computer goes to sleep.

One thing you can do to lower CPU usage is to lower the amount of motion detection processing.  To do so, simply copy and paste the following line of text to an Applications > Utilities > Terminal window and hit Return:

defaults write com.skjm.icamsource MotionDetectionWait -int 5000

The number at the end is the number of milliseconds that the iCamSource will wait before checking for motion (default is 500). You have to restart the iCamSource for any change you make to have an affect.

[Gaithis]

thanks Ill give it a shot and give you an update.